Euphemisms in America

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Yesterday I bought a copy of the Economist’s annual holiday issue, which is always full of good stuff. It includes a piece about euphemisms around the world, and it started off a bit oddly by suggesting, among other things, that Americans routinely call false teeth “dental appliances.” Really? Well, I thought, maybe we do. What do I know about what dentures are usually called? But then I ran across this:

The richest categories would centre on cross-cultural taboos such as death and bodily functions. The latter seem to embarrass Americans especially: one can ask for the “loo” in a British restaurant without budging an eyebrow; don’t try that in New York.

Say what? We don’t use the word “loo,” of course, but here in Southern California I ask waiters for directions to the men’s room all the time. The only thing that happens is that they…..tell me where it is. Unless this is some kind of weird New York thing, I’m pretty mystified by this. I hope the rest of their reporting on global euphemisms is more accurate than this.

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